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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28995198">A Brief Respite</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/frostedbella/pseuds/frostedbella'>frostedbella</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>RWBY</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, F/F, Fluff, Hugs, Let them hug and be girlfriends Salem, Penny needs a hug, Ruby Cries, Ruby Needs A Hug, Ruby and Penny should go to therapy together</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 10:34:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,439</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28995198</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/frostedbella/pseuds/frostedbella</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After subduing Penny and disarming her swords, Ruby and her allies seem to have severed Watts’ hold. Still anxious about Nora’s situation, all they can do is bide their time- but it’s been more than past time for Ruby and Penny to talk things out.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Penny Polendina/Ruby Rose</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>40</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Brief Respite</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>For a mansion that prided itself on its opulence and beauty, it was... kind of a mess now. Once-beautiful white silken curtains dangled from the windowsills in tatters, bookcases lay decimated in heaps of splintering wood, and claw marks were gouged into the quaint walls. If Jacque Schnee were to ever get out of prison, he’d be met with the unfortunate news that his property value had tragically dropped. </p><p>But none of that was on Ruby’s mind right now. Staring into her cold, nauseating cup of tea, all she could see was her own silver eyes glistening back at her. </p><p><em>What does it matter if I beat them back this time? </em>Ruby thought to herself, clenching the cup’s handle extra tight. <em>Who knows if we can keep Penny herself- and beyond that, we don’t even have the beginnings of a plan to beat Salem! I rushed them into this, thinking we could... be anything more than what we were. Just a bunch of kids with a dream. </em></p><p>She was so consumed in her bitter thoughts that she barely noticed a timid tap on her shoulder. “What?” she snapped, sounding much harsher than her usual self.</p><p>Whitley Schnee drew a sharp step back, his eyes widened in alarm. “I’m sorry, Miss Rose. I just wanted to- I mean, May, sent me to tell you that your friend’s doing better. Klein got her resettled after that attack.” Though his voice was taut, the words he shared carried with them a terrible context. He had come very close to harm’s way during the conflict. If not for Ruby’s silver eyes...</p><p>She shook her head. “Sorry for snapping at you,” she said, trying to sound more calm.</p><p>But she still hadn’t reacted to the news. “Er... Ruby...?”</p><p>”Yeah, no. Good. I’m glad. Thanks, Whitley.” </p><p>Whitley seemed a bit taken aback, but he let out a sigh. “Alright, then. I’ll just be lurking around until my dear sister decides I have a use.” With that, the tall boy strode off down the ruined hallways, leaving Ruby’s thoughts to wander yet again. </p><p>
  <em>Penny...</em>
</p><p>After Cinder, Watts, and their twisted Grimm had fled the Schnee Manor, they’d immediately disarmed and restrained her, having Blake keep a sharp watch over the android girl. It hurt Ruby’s heart to have her best friend treated with such coldness, but May shut down any opposition with her golden glare. </p><p><em>“We can’t prioritize your feelings towards that piece of tech over our own safety, Ruby. It’s not like we’re taking her apart.</em>”</p><p>Ruby still felt the sting of rage toward the Happy Huntress. <em>“You’re wrong!” </em>she’d yelled, her voice thick with indignant fury. <em>“Everyone has weaknesses. It’s what makes us human! And Penny may not be like us in the flesh, but she’s like us deep down, in her heart! She’ll never stop mattering to me like all of you do...”</em></p><p>And she was so close, in that point. Just so close to letting tears fall for the first time since back in Ironwood’s chamber. So close to letting her shields fall, letting her weakness show... but alas. She couldn’t just do that, not in front of her team. So she’d erupted into a swathe of rose petals and dashed off to her room to silently grieve. </p><p>When she thought about it, she realized there was only one person she would really feel safe crying in front of. And before she knew it, her feet were taking her there, step by step, to the room that held her artificial friend. </p><p>Blake’s ears pricked as the door swung open, revealing Ruby standing in the frame. “Err, you can go, Blake. I was just gonna- I wanted to take over guarding... actually, can you just give me some time alone with Penny?” she blurted out. Her face reddened with the admission, but Blake just nodded and got up off her chair. </p><p>“I’m sorry, Ruby,” she said quietly, exiting and shutting the door.</p><p>Ruby just sighed and slackened her shoulders, looking down before raising her head to meet the sight before her. Penny Polendina’s eyes had returned to their former jovial green shade, but the girl herself was anything but. In spite of having her arms cuffed behind her, she stared blankly ahead with an unreadable, unquantifiable facial expression. Ruby wasn’t really sure... how did she think? She’d expressed so many times that she never wanted to be the Winter Maiden, and that all she wanted to be was the Protector of Mantle, for that was her intended purpose, or so she said. Is that all she thought she was?</p><p>“Penny,” Ruby said softly, trying to coax her into a response. It was almost like she was singing, but the first verse would not arrive. </p><p>“Ruby.” Penny answered back, but any of her usual enthusiasm at mention of her best friend seemed to have evaporated. Ruby was, unfortunately, used to that dark feeling. </p><p>“How are you feeling?” the gentle reply came with a hesitant motion of Ruby’s hand, stretching toward Penny.</p><p>“Feeling?” Penny echoed, as if confused. “No, Ruby. I was not built with feelings in mind. I was made to protect people who feel. I was the Protector of Mantle.”</p><p>“If you’re saying you think you’ve failed-“</p><p>”Of course I’ve failed. Mantle is doomed to be overrun by Grimm.”</p><p>Ruby flinched. She didn’t need to be reminded of that. “But you’re not just the Protector of Mantle.”</p><p>“Yes... I’m the Winter Maiden, too. That woman left me with a new purpose, and yet...”  Without much effort, Penny shifted her arms behind me. “Is it considered succeeding to not be trusted by the people you’re supposed to be allies with?” </p><p>Ruby shook her head. Penny was so smart, but... “It’s not like that, Penny! We’re afraid of what Watts could do with you, now that-“</p><p>”I’m compromised.” The word fell out of Penny’s mouth like a stone.</p><p>”You... Penny, listen. I know you feel violated by this, and you have every right to be.”</p><p>”I don’t feel violated, Ruby. Isn’t that the point of this? I’m not a real girl. I’m just a piece of tech. Is that not what May said?” Penny asked innocuously.</p><p>”May- she’s just on edge. We all are. I mean, she and Robyn knew Ironwood couldn’t be trusted before all of us. No wonder she’s harsh to you- not like that makes it okay,” Ruby added, glowering. </p><p>“But she has a point, doesn’t she?”</p><p>“No!” Ruby exclaimed. Kneeling in front of her, she held out the blade of her scythe, snapping Penny’s cuffs into useless lumps of metal.</p><p>Penny’s eyes widened. “You-“</p><p>”I trust you. I care about you. And Penny, I...” Ruby suddenly reddened. “Penny, I love you, okay! And when you love someone, you want the best for them, you’ll do anything it takes to make them happy.” Ruby’s vision blurred as droplets of tears began to form in her eyes, but she smiled, so softly and sweetly that Penny felt the expression of absolute kindness, deep in her soul. “Penny... all I want is for you to be happy. Just... find your purpose, ngh... okay? You don’t need someone else to tell you how to live your life because you are a person! You have a life! Please...”</p><p>Ruby shut her eyes tight, tears escaping and streaming down her cheeks. At her waist, she felt hands lift her gently, and her body rest softly rest in the fluff of something warm and caring. Penny had taken her into her arms, and held her in her lap, looking serenely down at her. </p><p>“Ruby, I... love you too. And I don’t want you to be this upset about me... I never did,” she soothed, rubbing her back. </p><p>Ruby sniffled. “To be honest, I just really needed to cry,” she said, blinking up at Penny. “Everything is just... so much. It’s good to cry every once in a while, but I’m the leader. I can’t do it in front of them...”</p><p>Penny patted her gently. “Why not?”</p><p>For not the first time, she had posed a question Ruby could not answer. </p><p>They stayed like that for a very long time, with Ruby curled up in Penny’s lap, cape draped over her back and fluffy patches of hair ruffled by Penny’s methodical, massaging hands. A soft snore would escape Ruby, letting Penny know that the beautiful Huntress was sound asleep, resting after her outburst.</p><p>But she lay awake and thinking. If Ruby wanted her to find her purpose and be happy, where would she start?</p><p>But smiling, she looked down at the red-haired girl herself. She was a good start.</p><p> </p>
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